From hangover to half-marathon

Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the last big hoorah for summer, filled with road trips, backyard barbecues, and of course, craft beer! We kicked off Friday night at the Steinber Kimmie household with a good old-fashioned beer tasting, featuring Anderson Valley Mowkeef Saison, Lost Abbey Red Barn, Firestone Wookey Jack, Drake’s Aroma Coma, and Lagunitas Hop Stoopid and Daytime IPA. We also did a pairing with an Asian Chicken and Purple Carrots Stir-fry with Hop Ottin’ Sesame Ginger sauce. It was a great evening of “gorms and steinbers” but as I went to bed, I questioned if I’d have the gusto to complete my Saturday morning beer run.

On average, I log at least 15 miles per week, with Saturday being a “big run” with my daughter. I always look forward to these weekend beer runs, though needless to say pushing around a 30 lb. toddler in a B.O.B. stroller for 8 miles is a lot more difficult than running solo. So when I awoke in the morning with a fairly decent hangover, I pretty much decided I wasn’t going to run. Although I kept hydrated and ate healthy as the morning dragged on, I was kicking myself for being a slacker. By noon, I decided that I needed to punish myself for all those calories from the night before. That’s when I decided to run a half-marathon.

There was a point last year where I was actually training for the California International Marathon, during which I ran a few “halfs.” After each time I finished these, without fail, I questioned why anyone would purposefully run a full marathon. Now I was about to run another half with virtually no preparation, other than a good stretch routine, a packet of carbo-gel, and a bottle of water. I tend to do better on one-way long distance runs anyways—there’s something about the final destination outcome that makes it easier on me mentally. So my wife and our Friday night beer crew took the kids on a 14-mile drive to the suburbs for some lunch; once we finished, they left in their cars and I was alone in the parking lot. At this point, I guess I’m committed.

Running the American River bike trail is awesome

After the first 3 miles, I felt like I was on top of the world. It was a great run along the American River, with sunny skies and a constant breeze. I kept a decent pace all the way up until Mile 12, then I started to slow down a bit. All in all, I finished 14 miles in a little over 2 hours, not too shabby for a 35-year old with a penchant for pale ales and pizza. It has encouraged me to at least consider running a full marathon someday. And yes, I did get that run in with my daughter—took her out for a 5 mile run and nature walk the following day, though at a much slower pace. Don’t forget what you’re running for—by end of the day, it will all be worth it.

Steve Miller is the Steinber Kimmie (Beer Guy) and resident beer runner for Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Social Media, Sales and Marketing are a few of his favorite things. He’s also a pretty decent home brewer, gee-tar picker and disc golfer too. You can follow him @SteinberRunner on Twitter.